Understanding compliance for access control
Almost everything in a company depends on access - first and foremost you need to get through the door and that’s where compliance starts. Physical security is a part of compliance in many areas and in this overview of compliance policies we’d like to highlight a few of them. For some businesses it’s critical to get a security compliance grade that allows them to have a security positioning in the marketplace, for others it’s about being able to charge credit card data directly using PCI compliance. There are many compliance types and we’d like to make it easy to navigate between the different ones:
Which compliance do you need for access control?
What is Compliance?
Compliance means following the standards and laws accordingly. In the world of access control and security this means we have a standard of how people get access, how those permissions are managed and stored.
Core to compliance is the compliance certification -- a certain document that is issued by a official authority that ensures that a specific service or product meets the necessary specifications to be used.
In the case of access control system security, physical compliance certifications account for its quality in terms of efficiency, safety, and usability.
Physical Security Certifications
Every business needs a certain level of security to be considered trustworthy and safe by both consumers and the agencies that oversee them. It makes sense — there are just so many companies and organizations in operation that it’s worthwhile to set and stick to a common set of security measures. As mentioned above, some industries are even required by regulatory agencies to meet certain physical security certifications, and compliance with these policies is absolutely necessary. With so many different types of certifications to choose from and comply with, you should do a little more research before updating your entire operation.
Physical security certifications can be issued by both private organizations and government entities. Regulatory agencies monitor compliance with state and national laws, including, for example, HIPAA and OSHA standards of physical security. Refusing to adhere to these certifications can result in a business being fined or shut down entirely, so they are critically important, especially for organizations that deal with physical labor or patient care.
Private certifications, while not required, can positively impact your business by proving that you are using up to date practices and physical security measures. The certifications listed below, such as NERC-CIP and Verizon Cybertrust, basically prove that you know what you’re doing, assuring customers that their data and other sensitive information will be safe within the walls of your facility. Investing in these types of physical security certifications, especially ones that are specific to your industry, can propel your business to the next level.
Purposes of Access Compliance
Ensuring functionality
A compliance certificate from a reliable authoritative body ensures the overall functionality of a physical access control system. The basic purpose of an access control is to limit the access to a certain file or set of information to a limited number of people based on their retinal scan, security access code, or other biometric means. A certificate ensures that the security system provides its service for a considerable period of time abiding by the implemented screening process properly.
Preventing hack attacks and malware
As everything is becoming digitised nowadays, every access control system possesses an online database that can be susceptible to certain malware and other nefarious hack attacks. As a result, the access control system must have an impregnable firewall that can withstand such attacks and maintain the security of a certain organisation. An access compliance certification makes sure that the firewalls used in the access control system are of decent quality and capable of thwarting random hack attacks and malicious websites.
Organised storage and quick access to information
Besides providing limited access, an access control security system is also responsible for keeping the necessary files in a secure location and in proper order so that they can be accessed readily by people with proper credentials. A physical access compliance certificate also ensures this quality in a physical access control system.
Protection from computer virus
Besides protecting from hacks and malware, an access control system must be impervious to computer viruses to function properly for a considerable period of time. A compliance certificate ensures that the antivirus installed in the security system is capable of offering enough protection against a computer virus.
Importance of Obtaining Compliance Certification
For businesses offering physical access control system to various organisations, a compliance certificate from a regulatory body like ISO plays a pivotal role.
Meeting customer requirements
With the issue of certification, entities like protection from malware, quality of the antivirus, biometric access system, storage of the secured files, etc are vetted and verified to be robust. Thus, a certified access control system would have little problems satisfying their customers.
Improving quality
A certificate of compliance not only acts as a mere symbol of quality of a certain product, but also helps in sustaining that quality over the years and also improve it a bit. A certified manufacturer of access control system is more likely to have a very organised and foolproof designing process than the uncertified ones.
Increasing revenue
If your company has a compliance certificate issued by a reputable organisation, it acts as a definitive proof of the quality of your service or product. It also indicates that your product follows the regulations as per ISO 22301, FISMA etc. Consequently, there will be more leads, and a possible increase in revenue.
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Key Benefits of Compliance Certificate
A compliance certificate for your physical access control system can be advantageous in many ways:
Owning a Failsafe System
A compliance certificate accounts for a failsafe system and as a result, significantly mitigates possibilities of disastrous outcomes from the product
Increase credibilty
Improvement of the reputation and credibility of the organisation with a considerable amount of customer satisfaction and consistent performance.
Increase interest
With the two abovementioned factors, it will not be long before you will enjoy a growing interest among new customers and investors.
Remember, a certified access control system is highly likely to provide a security system of considerable efficiency, usability, and security.
Here are the top most important compliance areas we came across, let us know if one is missing!